The Art of Teasing - Chapter 175
Chapter 175
Saturday was the day of Vice Chairman Xu's engagement.
Both she and Ye Ling had received invitations from Vice Chairman Xu. The two of them went together, and they brought Ma Lu along as well.
Ma Lu came to her house first to meet up, then followed them. In just a few short days, Ma Lu had undergone a complete transformation. His entire demeanor had shifted from that of a small startup owner to a successful, accomplished entrepreneur.
Ye Ling had gone to visit the security company, and that had only confirmed her impression that Ma Lu was actually quite shrewd.
Wen Zhengyu had invested so much money in him. He could have easily cut corners or pinched pennies anywhere to save enough for the renovation and the cost of dressing up the facade, making the security company's storefront look impressive. But when Wen Zhengyu had first invested, it was only capital. Ma Lu had returned from far away, a stranger in an unfamiliar place. Even if he had renovated the storefront to perfection, it would have been difficult to establish a foothold.
So he had simply spent the money Wen Zhengyu gave him directly and substantively on Wen Zhengyu herself, then poured the rest entirely into hardware, building a rock-solid foundation. As for the superficial aspects, hiring a renovation company to redo the place and adding some professional gear would handle that. Ma Lu was crying poverty in a roundabout way. It wasn't the renovation funds he lacked; it was the connections to break into the market. Ma Lu having shrewdness wasn't a bad thing. The ones without shrewdness, without plans, who just flailed around wildly all day—those were the truly irritating ones.
Ye Ling was still very willing to take on this business. First, she couldn't stand by and watch Wen Zhengyu's money go down the drain. Second, Ma Lu and his crew were worth investing in. Third, it was a ready-made profitable venture—money to be made, and no reason not to make it. Wen Zhengyu had provided the investment, but Ma Lu couldn't open up the market. The portion of the profits she was stepping in to claim now could not possibly come out of Wen Zhengyu's pocket anymore.
Wen Zhengyu and Ye Ling arrived at the banquet hall shortly before eleven. The hall was already crowded. She also saw quite a few "colleagues"—executives from the Holding Group, high-level managers from subsidiary companies, and employees from Vice Chairman Xu's department had all come, gathered together chatting. Then there were people from the business world, a few of whom she and Wen Li had met during past social engagements. They had sat at the same table for meals, but there had been no real dealings. Back then, her family had fallen, and she had gone into business on her own. Others had either treated her with little courtesy or had certain unsavory designs. However, out of consideration for Wen Li, things hadn't gone too far.
Her arrival this time with Ye Ling was met with attitudes vastly different from those she had encountered when she first opened the art studio.
Wen Zhengyu responded politely, but she couldn't bear the clamorous crowd gathering around her. Fortunately, the engagement ceremony began soon after, and she and Ye Ling finally squeezed out of the crowd and took their seats. Their seats had been arranged at the head table. Aside from the parents of the bride and groom, it was just her and Ye Ling, along with a few elder relatives from both families. Vice Chairman Xu's parents had previously worked in corporate management and were now retired. His fiancée's family was very ordinary—her father worked in accounting at a public institution, and her mother was a homemaker. It was clear that both sets of parents were extremely satisfied with this marriage.
People who love each other look at one another with eyes full of joy and affection. When they turn toward each other, their gazes are completely filled with the other's reflection.
A very happy couple.
Wen Zhengyu's thoughts drifted back to Ye Ling. Involuntarily, she turned to look at her, only to find Ye Ling already turning her head to look back. Their eyes met. What Wen Zhengyu saw in Ye Ling's eyes was a deep, gentle, smiling tenderness—very tender, and very happy.
At the banquet, once everyone had eaten, the drinking began. People kept coming over to drink with Ye Ling, and some came to drink with her too. Ye Ling blocked the drinks for her, and inevitably ended up drinking a bit too much. Most of those who came were from the business world. They drank and clamored noisily. Fortunately, Vice Chairman Xu came over to help them out.
The banquet was lively, but it was also truly noisy. The din pounded against her temples, making the veins there throb. By the time she got home, her headache was severe, and it took two days of rest to recover.
She had always been very attentive to maintaining her health, but now, she understood more deeply than ever how important a healthy body was.
Her eyesight had been affected, and the steadiness of her hands had also deteriorated considerably. When outlining, her hand would tremble. When looking at the lines, they appeared blurred and doubled. She painted meticulous gongbi style. That slight blurring and ghosting was enough to ruin a painting.
She went to the hospital on Tuesday for a follow-up checkup. The doctor said that her current ability to manage daily self-care was already a very good recovery. As for her headaches, blurred vision, and dizziness, those would still depend on subsequent recovery, but they would likely improve somewhat, to varying degrees. She asked the doctor if she would ever be able to paint again. The doctor still only said that it depended on her recovery.
Wen Zhengyu wondered, what if her eyesight and sense of steadiness never recovered?
Her personality and interests had never made her suited for business. Her academic background and specialty were also unfit for a career in commerce. Even if she wanted to learn, she couldn't even read ledgers or documents now.
Wen Zhengyu was very reluctant to dwell on these things that brought negative emotions. Yet, during her checkup, when the doctor asked her to draw a circle and a straight line, she hadn't been able to. If it were merely the lingering effects of a concussion, after so many months, she should have mostly recovered. She had been in a coma for a very long time, and she had suffered brain damage. The CT scan still showed some shadows in her brain. Much brain damage was permanent.
Wen Zhengyu returned home. Not wanting anyone to see her distress, nor wanting Ye Ling to worry, she shut herself in the Painting Hall and sorted through her old paintings. Still, she couldn't hold back. She closed the doors and windows and hid in a corner of the Painting Hall, crying bitterly for a while.
When Ye Ling came back that evening, Wen Zhengyu asked her to draft an agreement to transfer the management of the assets under her name to Ye Ling.
Ye Ling looked at her, puzzled. "Why the sudden thought of drafting an agreement?"
Wen Zhengyu said, "We can't get a marriage certificate. There's no way for you to manage my property legitimately through marriage. So, let's write an agreement. That way, your management has proper authorization. I won't let you do it for free. You'll get an annual share dividend." She paused, then added, "To force oneself to learn and pursue something one doesn't like as a career just to make a living—it's actually quite painful."
Ye Ling gave an "oh" and leaned closer to Wen Zhengyu, examining her carefully. "Why are your eyes red? And a little swollen?"
Wen Zhengyu wanted to say some dust got in them, but lying wasn't good. She stole a glance at Ye Ling and remained silent.
Ye Ling's heart immediately clenched. "How did the checkup results look?"
Wen Zhengyu said, "The doctor said the recovery is going very well."
Ye Ling didn't believe it. Only after personally reviewing Wen Zhengyu's checkup report and calling the doctor did she feel reassured.
Ye Ling could see that Wen Zhengyu had never truly concerned herself with the property under her name. Wen Zhengyu had made such a large investment in Ma Lu yet had never once asked about Ma Lu's business operations. As for the enterprises and assets under her own name, she had never checked the accounts either. Ye Ling had no objection to signing an agreement with Wen Zhengyu to manage her assets. But an agreement was to be signed between her and Wen Zhengyu. Wen Zhengyu's eyesight was poor. She couldn't bring herself to draft an agreement and have Wen Zhengyu sign it with her eyes closed. She invited Lian Xin and Wen Zhengyu's lawyer over, had them review the agreement on Wen Zhengyu's behalf, and only then signed it with Wen Zhengyu.
After signing the agreement, Wen Zhengyu felt much lighter, both physically and mentally. She completely let go of those business matters, leaving them for Ye Ling to handle as she pleased. Whether they made money or lost it, it didn't matter. In her free time, she would visit the studio. She couldn't authenticate paintings, but she could still listen to everyone's discussions, or hear Chu Ci talk about the studio's business affairs. Most of the time, however, she stayed quietly alone in the Painting Hall, picking up her brush again to practice calligraphy.
It didn't show in daily life, but whenever she lifted a brush to write or paint, she could keenly feel how unsteady her hand was. Her sense of coordination was very poor. What she envisioned and what she executed were not in the positions she estimated. Before, she could draw a perfect circle or a straight line without a compass or ruler. But now, her straight lines looked like earthworms, and her circles were drawn so that the starting and ending points couldn't even connect.
In the blink of an eye, spring had returned to the earth, and the flowers on the branches had bloomed.
Beside the small lake at her home stood a pear tree, directly facing the window. When the wind blew, pear blossoms drifted down onto the lake's surface. Occasionally, petals would even blow into the Painting Hall.
When she grew tired of practicing calligraphy, she would open the door facing the lake, brew a cup of tea, and sip it slowly, gazing out at the lake in a daze.
March in Jiangnan was the famously misty rainy season. The drizzling rain, like gauze, like fog, gathered along the eaves into droplets that fell with a pitter-patter. The sound of raindrops, mingling with the cool, damp air, was refreshing to the heart and mind. Of the four seasons, she loved the crisp coolness of spring and autumn most. But the air in spring was even moister. That moisture made her feel as though she, like the tender buds on the branches, was being nourished by the spring rain. She even felt, at times, like a fish swimming leisurely and blissfully in the spring rain.
When it rained, she didn't need to do anything. A cup of clear tea in her hand, and she could sit facing the rainy scenery for an entire day. The rain-soaked flying eaves of the octagonal pavilion in the corner of the courtyard, the moss-covered path winding around the lake, the branches made especially lush and verdant, the splashes and spreading ripples where raindrops hit the lake—in this season, everywhere was a scene, everywhere was worthy of being captured in a painting.
It was in this March season that Qi Wei returned, accompanying Old Master Qi.
People online said that the northern winter was a physical attack, while the southern winter was a magical attack—the chill seeping all the way into the bones. During the southern winter, if the heating was kept on indoors constantly, the house would be warm and dry while outside was cold and bone-chillingly damp. Elderly people who stayed in climate-controlled rooms year-round, occasionally venturing out, could not adapt abruptly and caught colds very easily. During the coldest months of the year, Old Master Qi went to Hainan Island to escape the winter. Once it warmed up, he would return to stay for a few months to enjoy the spring scenery of Jiangnan. After that, he would go to the less scorching north to spend the summer and autumn.
Qi Wei's return naturally meant she would move around visiting people. Once she had finished visiting the households she was close to, she came to Wen Zhengyu's place. Although the number of times Wen Zhengyu and Qi Wei had met could be counted on one hand, their families were close. Moreover, Qi Wei was someone who became familiar rather easily. After a polite phase with Qi Wei, Wen Zhengyu had been gently put in her place by her and no longer stood on ceremony. When Qi Wei arrived, Wen Zhengyu didn't even bother holding an umbrella to go out and greet her, simply letting Qi Wei come to the Painting Hall on her own.
Qi Wei was still that stunningly, almost overwhelmingly beautiful figure. Wen Zhengyu's courtyard, brimming with spring, and her room full of exquisite furnishings instantly paled in comparison to Qi Wei.
Qi Wei asked with a beaming smile, "Your CEO Ye isn't here?"
Wen Zhengyu said, "Away on business." She invited Qi Wei to sit and brewed a cup of tea, handing it to her.
Qi Wei remarked to Wen Zhengyu, "I see you're about to cultivate yourself into an immortal." She glanced at Wen Zhengyu. "I heard from Grandmother that you've handed over all the property under your name to Ye Ling to manage?"
Wen Zhengyu asked, "Is there a reason for asking?"
Qi Wei said, "Just satisfying my curiosity."
Wen Zhengyu glanced at Qi Wei. She didn't see what there was to be curious about.
Qi Wei had heard of the Kunlun Little Sprite's great reputation, but she hadn't truly seen much of Wen Zhengyu's art. Sipping her tea, she chatted with Wen Zhengyu for a while about the recent situation of Wen Shishu and the Kang father and son, then asked Wen Zhengyu to bring out her paintings for her to see. Qi Wei wanted to see Wen Zhengyu's famous masterpiece, the Kunlun Myriad Demons Scroll.
When Wen Zhengyu went to fetch the paintings, her mind stirred as she looked at Qi Wei. She brought out Nine Tails instead.
In the painting, beneath a parasol tree where the phoenix perched, stood a jade table and stools carved from Kunlun white jade. Beside the jade table sat a nine-tailed fox, pure white from head to toe, without a single trace of any other color.
Qi Wei's gaze landed on the nine-tailed fox in the painting. She stared fixedly for a full minute or two before turning to look at Wen Zhengyu. "Is this a nine-tailed fox? Me?" Her nickname was Qi Nine-Tails. For Wen Zhengyu to bring out such a painting—it was hard for her not to take it personally.
Wen Zhengyu pointed to the date on the inscription. A painting from several years ago.
Qi Wei's gaze returned to the painting. "I like this painting very much. Name a price."
Wen Zhengyu jolted, instantly feeling as if she were possessed by Ye Ling. She refused without hesitation. "Not for sale." As she spoke, she moved to put the painting away.
Qi Wei quickly stopped her. "Don't. Let me look a little longer. Hey, what is this fox in your painting looking at?" As she asked, she looked toward Wen Zhengyu again.
Wen Zhengyu felt inexplicably guilty. She thought of her painted world, where Nine-Tails waited for Kunlun until death, where Kunlun returned as a little sprite, watched Nine-Tails die, and even buried Nine-Tails, yet had forgotten everything. She steadied herself and told Qi Wei, "This could be considered a tragedy." She still told Qi Wei the story of Nine-Tails.
After listening, Qi Wei concentrated in thought for a long time before looking at Wen Zhengyu. "You must have also painted the Kunlun Goddess." She immediately stood up and urged Wen Zhengyu to find the paintings of the Kunlun Goddess for her.
Wen Zhengyu said, "The Kunlun Goddess's face is never painted directly from the front."
Qi Wei said, "As long as they exist."
Wen Zhengyu brought out Goddess Bathing, Riding the Wind, and the painting where the nine-tailed fox danced, the Kunlun Goddess played the zither, and the phoenix bird sang, drawing a hundred birds to gather—Revelry.
In all three paintings, one could find the nine-tailed fox and the phoenix bird, either from the front or in profile. The painting of Nine-Tails dancing even depicted her in human form, of peerless, breathtaking beauty. That exquisite countenance bore a slight resemblance to Qi Wei, particularly the eyes, brows, and the allure they exuded—identical in essence.
Qi Wei asked Wen Zhengyu again, "You painted me?" She pointed at the figure in the painting. "It looks so much like me. Look at these eyes and brows."
Wen Zhengyu said honestly, "When I painted these, I didn't know you, nor had I ever seen you. It's you who fits the image."
Qi Wei pressed down on Wen Zhengyu's shoulder, turned Wen Zhengyu around, and compared Wen Zhengyu's back view with the back view of the Kunlun Goddess in the painting. She instantly suspected Wen Zhengyu had used a camera to take a photo of her own back and traced it.
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